Introverts and extroverts

Paulo Avelino has to learn to be more outgoing, more extroverted, if he is to be worth his latest candy endorsement campaign billed as compliMENTOS. Yes, it has to with that iconic circular mint candies.

The campaign is about complimenting as many people one gets to meet wherever and whenever (meaning, including outright strangers). Paulo has no reputation of being a sociable “tropa” guy who hangs out with friends in bars to see and be seen. Nor is he known for the gift of gab.

He is teamed up with the young and bubbly Gabbi Garcia, who seems to be hardly affected by the death of Eddie Garcia at the filming set of a Kapuso network series she was supposed to topbill, Rosang Agimat but which the network decided to scrap altogether after the tragedy.

Paulo, 31, and Gabbi, 21, were launched as Mentos endorsers in a weekend event at Top Shelf at Bonifacio Global City. As if proving how uncomfortable Paulo is about being in front of strangers, he playfully kept moving his roving mic from one hand to the other while waiting to answer questions from the event’s host. On the other hand, Gabbi was simply relaxed and ready.

Tons of almost equally reticent girls and gays are obsessed with Paulo: they don’t scream at the sight of him. They just stare at him titillated. His reticence, soft voice, slow talk, bland but pleasant face must be part of the Paulo Avelino mystique. Makers of sweet products have begun to find him to be their perfect endorser. This month, it’s Mentos. Two months ago, it was Red Ribbon cakes he began to help market. A few days before that Mentos launch, he talked about mental health and suicide prevention for fashion designer Jean Gouldbourn’s Natasha Gouldbourn Foundation (which has been renamed New Good Feelings Mindstrong).

His reticence, soft voice, slow talk, bland but pleasant face must be part of the Paulo Avelino mystique.

In a rare openness, Paulo talked about how sometime in 2016, despite his having become a famous actor, he thought about ending his life. He spoke, along with fellow actor Iza Calzado, singer Nicole Laurel Asensio and Sheila Suntay (whose son took his own life about a year ago). The fashion designer named the foundation after a daughter who took her life in 2002.

Had Paulo pushed through with that darkest of plan in 2016, he could have not starred in the 2017 film that seemed to have solidified fan obsession for him: I’m Drunk, I Love You, which had him teamed up with Maja Salvador. That film led to Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral. Next year, TBA, the producer of those two aforementioned films, will cast Paulo and Maja in a prequel to I’m Drunk, I Love You.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN has begun to tease a film about fan obsession that Paulo had been quietly shooting under Antoinette Jadaone’s direction — with an all-women crew.

Its making was deliberately kept a secret, though the film’s title has just been revealed: Fan Girl. Nope, Paulo is not playing the fan girl but the obsession of the girl — whose identity remains a secret. Paulo’s character in the film is Paulo Avelino. He plays himself.

But then the film’s playdate is still mysterious. What is not mysterious anymore is that the actor has a non-showbiz girlfriend: the Filipino-Australian ramp-commercial model Jody Tarasek. They celebrated their second year of relationship in May. Nope, we hear no yarn about them living-in.

MAJA Salvador and boyfriend Rambo Nuñez during a previous trip to Bali, Indonesia. INSTAGRAM.COM/IAMMAJASALVADOR

Showbiz idols are typically show-offs when they’re in love off-screen. They keep posting Instagrams of their togetherness, especially out-of-town and out-of-the-country. Maja Salvador is among those show-offs.

A few days after she turned up at her media launch as the latest Jollibee endorser, she went to Palawan with PR executive Rambo Nuñez, with whom she’s having a love-is-lovelier-the-second-time-around. Her taping sked for her very well rating ABS-CBN series The Killer Bride seems to be not hectic, so she has time to go on virtual “honeymoons.”

No, they are not married, not even secretly. At the launch of the new Jollibee super meal, Maja said she’s not ruling it out that Rambo may become her legal husband in the future. She is not in a hurry to marry anyone.

JOSHUA Garcia featured in an all new Jollibee commercial sans former partner, Julia Barretto.

That media launch was not mainly for showbiz reporters, so no one bothered to ask Maja how she feels about her seemingly having replaced the controversial Julia Barretto as endorser — with Jollibee not renewing the younger actress’ contract. Julia’s “ex” reel and real-life boyfriend Joshua Garcia was renewed (and featured all by his lonesome in a new Jollibee commercial).

Well, it’s nice and refreshing for some events involving showbiz idols to transpire almost quietly and sweetly.